Gov`t stepping up alert for new flu outbreak in Japan

TOKYO, May 1 Kyodo -
Prime Minister Taro Aso said Friday that Japan remains on the alert for a new
strain of influenza A and will take all possible measures to prevent its
spread, although a high school student suspected of being the nation's first
case of the new influenza tested negative.
''It's not a short-term fight and we need to brace ourselves up for what will
likely take a considerable time,'' Aso told reporters, saying that the
government still needs to take appropriate measures to prevent the new
influenza from entering the country.
Aso made the remarks a few hours after the health ministry said a 17-year-old
male high school student in Yokohama tested negative for the new influenza.
Test results showed that the boy, who stayed in British Columbia, Canada,
during a school excursion from April 10 to 25, has only been infected with a
seasonal strain of the influenza virus.
Earlier in the day, the government held a task force meeting for the new
influenza and decided on new measures to prepare for an outbreak of the
influenza subtype H1N1 in Japan.
''If an infection is confirmed in the country, it is important to provide the
public with correct information swiftly and to respond appropriately to any
changes in the situation by taking necessary measures flexibly,'' Aso said at
the meeting.
The government decided to add several more countries to the list of those,
including Mexico, subject to travel warnings and stricter immigration
examinations, Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura said, adding the new
measures will be taken ''flexibly'' to help contain the epidemic.
In preparation for the outbreak, the government is ready to provide information
to the public and to health personnel, strengthen domestic surveillance and
provide appropriate and swift medical care to patients in suspected cases.
If an infection is confirmed, Kawamura said, the government may advise the
public to voluntarily refrain from going out except in emergencies and from
holding gatherings. Schools would be closed if necessary.
''We would like the public to stay alert and act calmly,'' he said.
Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada, who is visiting Washington, told reporters
Thursday that the ministry is willing to respond to possible government
requests, including transporting Japanese nationals if commercial aircraft are
not available and transporting emergency supplies should the infection spread.
''We would like to respond by fully using our knowledge if there are various
requests from the government's task force,'' Hamada said. ''We will respond in
accordance with the Defense Ministry's program when the situation changes,'' he
said.
Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Minister Kazuyoshi Kaneko said that
the ministry will ask transport companies to call on passengers to wear masks
if the new flu spreads inside the country.
The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology has also
started work to check the details of recent overseas trips made by Japanese
schools, including the number of participants, destinations and specific dates
of the trips.
==Kyodo